Lounge



(No Model.) 2 Sheetsf-Sheet 1.

E. E. RUETER. LOUNGE.

No. 571,247. Patented Nv. 1o, 1896.

'THE Nnqms c1-:ns ao, vuomuwo. WASHINGTON, D c,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. E. RUE-TER.

LOUNGE Patented Nov. 10, 1896.

Nrrnn STATES union.

ArtNr EDWARD EBERHARD RUETER, OFALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN P. KNOBELOCH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOUNGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,247, dated November 10, 1896. Application filed Jauuaryl, 1894. Renewed April 14, 1896. Serial No. 587,557. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD EBERHARD RUETER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allentown, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Lounge, of Which the following is a specification. j

My invention relates to furniture having stationary and folding parts or members, and particularly to lounges and chairs having stationary-seat portions and adjustable backs or head-rests, and the objects in vieur are to provide mechanism for facilitating the adjustment of said part or member and for locking the same at the desired inclination, and to provide simple, inexpensive, and efficient means for connecting the movable or adjustable part or member to the stationary portion of the article.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a lounge provided with adjusting mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail side View of the adjusting mechanism and the contiguous portions of the lounge. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line :c of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a lvievv of the adjusting mechanism applied in the operative position to a chair. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the ratchet-locking bars. Fig. G is a similar view of one of the pivotplates. Fig. 7 is a similar view of another pivot-plate with its attached arm for engagement with the locking-bar.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

A and A' represent, respectively, the stationary and movable parts or members of an article of furniture to Which the adjusting mechanism embodying my invention is applied, and attached to the said stationary part or member is a pivot-plate B, provided at one end with an offset portion in which is formed a pintle-bearing c2 and at the other end With an enlargement or boss d, projecting from which is a pintle B. This pivot-plate B is attached by means of an ear d3 to a crossbar CZ of the frame of the stationary part or member.

Attached to the movable or adjustable part or member A is a pivot-plate E, provided at its lower end With an offset portion a, in which is formed a pintlc-bearing agfforengageinent with the pintle B. This bearing a2 is extended to form a parallel-sided sleeve, against the extremity of Which bears a disk h', Which is secured upon the extremity of the pintle B' by a linchpin h2. Arranged upon this sleeve port-ion of the bearing a2 is a helical spring C, having one extremity attached to the pivotplate B by means of an anchor C' and the other end attached to said bearing, the tension of this spring being exerted in the direction of the upward movement of the adjustable part or member A,Whereby When said adjustable part or member is released the spring returns it to an upright position.

c represents a pivotal locking-bar provided at one extremity With a pintle c, Which is mounted in the bearing ci, the adjacent portion of the bar being arranged in the oifset portion of the pivot-plate B. The upper concave edge of the locking-bar is provided with ratchet-teeth for engagement With an arm E, which is carried by and is preferably formed integral with the pivot-plate E, and the free extremity of the locking-bar is provided With an extension or handle c, which projects outward beyond the frame of the stationary portion of the article of furniture.

It will be understood that the above-described mechanism is duplicated upon the other side of the lounge or other device, the locking-bars c being connected by a transverse bar D to cause simultaneous movement thereof, and said locking-bars being normally held in engagement with the arms E' by an actuating-spring d, attached at one end to a bracket D' on said connecting bar D and at the otherend to a similar bracket d2, attached to the transverse bar d.

From the above description the operation ofthe improved mechanism Will be readily understood, it being obvious that upon the depression of the ratchet-locking bars c by the foot or hand of the operator the movable part or member of the article of furniture Will be actuated by its springs C to approach a vertical position, and that any desired in- IOO clination of this adjustable part or member may be attained by pressure upon or the release of the same. When the desired position of the adjustable part or member has been attained, the locking-bars are released to allow engagement of their ratchet-teeth with the extremities of the arms E.l

The disposition of the actuating-springs C between the covering-plates B and the adjacent portions of the pivot-plates E provides for their operation without exposure to blows from other articles of furniture and the risk of injury to an operator during the disengagement of the locking-bars from the arms E. Furthermore7 the disposition of the upper extremities of the locking-bars c' between the side bars of the stationary part of the framework and the offset portions of the pivot* plates B provides for a permanent mounting of such locking-bars without the use of securing devices, such as nuts, linchpins, &c., and at the same time provides for the ready disengagement and attachment of the parts of the device when necessary for purposes of repair, (be. The interposed bar D prevents lateral deflection of the locking-bars and at the same time provides for the detachment of these parts of the mechanism when moved from the article of furniture by the removal of the pivot-plates.

It is obvious from the above description that the construction and arrangement of the apparatus is simple, that it is capable of attachment to various kinds of articles of furniture, and that various changes in the form,

proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having described the invention, what l claim isf- The combination with an article of furniture having stationary and adjustable parts or members, of a hinge-plate B secured to the framework of the stationary part or member, and provided at one end with an offset portion having a pintle-bearing, and at the other end with a pintle B', a pivot-plateE secured to the adjustable part or member and having a sleeve-bearing a2 mounted upon said pintle B', a spring arranged upon and secured to said sleeve-bearing and iiXed at the other end to a pin on the hinge-plate B, a ratchet-locking bar arranged at one end in the offset por tion of said hinge-plate B and provided with a pintle mounted in the pintle-bearing formed in said offset portion, an arm carried by the hinge-plate E for engagement with the teeth of said ratchet-lookin g bar, and a spring for maintaining the locking-bar in operative relation with said engaging arm, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD EBERHARD RUETER.

lVitnesses:

CHARLES C. SENTENBACH, SAMUEL P. SwARTz. 

